A Plus: Making the Grade

By Zoneil Maharaj
Photos by Julie Schuchard

A Plus has first-album jitters. Sitting inside the conference room of the Hiero Imperium headquarters, a record label he co-owns and runs with his Hieroglyphics cohorts in East Oakland, he’s all smiles and anxiety, happy yet nervous about the release of his solo album, which recently dropped on Hiero Imperium. Though he speaks with the eagerness of a teenager about to see his picture and hear his voice on a CD for the first time, he isn’t one.

It has been 16 years since Adam Carter, a.k.a. A Plus, made his debut, spitting a verse on “Burnt,” the B-side to childhood friend and collaborator Del Tha Funkee Homosapien’s 1991 hit, “Mistadobalina.” The song was the world’s introduction to the Hieroglyphics crew, featuring five members from the octet of artists and entrepreneurs delivering swift, multi-syllabic, inner-line rhymes. A Plus was still in high school when it was pressed on wax.

Since then, he has been a member of the Souls of Mischief and the larger Hieroglyphics collective, playing an integral role on hip-hop classics such as Souls of Mischief’s 93 ‘til Infinity and 1995’s No Man’s Land, along with Hieroglyphics’ 3rd Eye Vision and Full Circle. Now, following fellow Souls of Mischief members Tajai and Opio, and heeding the urging of fans, he’s ready to make his solo debut with My Last Good Deed.

“You have baggage after 15 years,” A Plus says. The ironically titled debut is his final effort to mend situations in his life and move on. Topics range from his Jamaican heritage to his frustrations with relationships and the music industry. On “Kiss the Sky,” A Plus reflects on his life and the loss of a close friend who was murdered when the album was halfway completed.

“Even though this is my first solo album, I feel like damn, I ain’t gonna be able to make my real album until I get this out,” says A Plus about the album’s concept and “last good deed” attitude. “It’s freeing me up to really be free to make my next album and not feel like there’s anything pressing me that I wanted to say.”

Though he’s been making music for years, it’s awkward for him to work solo after being engrained with the group mentality. “I’m not used to having to write these many raps,” A Plus says. “I’m not used to having to occupy that much of a song.” But if “30 is the new 20” as Jay-Z suggests, then A Plus has nothing to worry about. He’s as hungry as he was when the Souls of Mischief signed a deal with Jive Records back when he was 17.

While the low-riders of the West Coast’s trunks were stuck on the G-funk grooves of Dr. Dre, Warren G and Snoop Dogg, the Souls of Mischief dropped 93 ‘til Infinity, both a single (produced by A Plus) and an album that live up to their name. Considered one of the top 100 rap songs and albums of all time by The Source, the song and album couldn’t be categorized. The crew was from Oakland, but it didn’t have the gangster edge of other Bay Area artists. The album’s production was jazzy, with heavy horn samples and elements of funk, but their witty wordplay and lyrical content didn’t quite jibe with the East Coast mold either.

“We always try to push the envelope. And it’s not to be different for the sake of being different. That’s just how we are,” A Plus says. “When we sat down and started making music, it came out different ever since we were little kids. It’s still like that now...We do our own thing and we’re thankful for being around long enough for it to be a Hiero sound and not a ‘West Coast’ sound or an ‘East Coast’ sound.”
A Plus has been instrumental in developing that signature sound, not only as an emcee, but also in his lesser-known role of producer. Though he operates mainly as an in-house Hiero producer, his production resume includes songs for Mystic, Me’shell Ndegeocell and Chris Isaak.

“People have been telling me to try and be more proactive outside of Hiero as a producer and I think I’m gonna start taking that advice now,” he says. “But, you know, I really got the group mentality. There’s enough work for me to do here at Hiero.”
A majority of the production on My Last Good Deed is held down by Compound7, a production company comprised of A Plus and his brother, AAGEE. Their logo is tattooed on A Plus’ right hand. He picked up production in the ‘80s from Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, whose DJ owned a beat machine. When Del bought a sampler, A Plus was hooked.

“I enjoy production more now. Not to say that I don’t like rapping, but I love manipulating frequencies,” he says. “Everybody likes music and to be able to manipulate in a way that makes other people enjoy it as much as you enjoyed making it — that shit is like magic to me. It’s therapeutic for me.”

Though he now stands at the helm of an independent movement he and his crewmates helped start, his musical journey hasn’t been an easy ride. After Souls of Mischief’s 1995 album No Man’s Land, problems with record labels forced members of Hieroglyphics to go the independent route with the formation of the Hiero Imperium label. This meant they’d all have to play their part in funding the label and their projects.

During this time, A Plus had to get a day job to help pick up slack. While the rest of the crew was on tour with Run DMC, he was stuck working for Pacific Bell, or “Specific Hell,” as he calls it.

The crew reemerged in 1998 with the long-awaited 3rd Eye Vision, launching what would become a model for independent success. By sticking to their unique sound, the crew acquired a loyal and devout global fan base and is now one of the most revered groups and record labels in independent hip-hop.

But it doesn’t stop there for A Plus. He has already booked tours for the upcoming months and is hard at work with the highly anticipated Souls of Mischief album. Also in the works is the Compound7-produced Del EP, a new Hieroglyphics album and a joint project with Del. All the while, A Plus will continue to freak frequencies to make heads nod and bodies move while remaining creative — the active ingredient for his success thus far.

“I try not to pigeonhole myself into any one way of thinking. I try to stay open and influenced by the situation because once you start drawing lines, you start missing shit. I’d rather leave it open,” A Plus says. “That’s the whole part of being creative. Why set limitations for yourself when you’re being creative? That’s an oxymoron.”

www.hieroglyphics.com